


The Night Game

by IObse33



Category: Cars (Pixar Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, Friendship, Games, Late at Night, Love, M/M, Racing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22262173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IObse33/pseuds/IObse33
Summary: Every few nights, doc would race through town in his Hudson Hornet well over the speed limit,and Sheriff would chase after. It was a game, Doc never crashed, they were great buddies, so no one was arrested. The game ended with done chuckles, good night being tossed back and forth, and the night would end.Tonight, the game would end differently, for the better.
Relationships: Doc Hudson/Sheriff (Cars)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	The Night Game

What has it been, twenty something years?

Yes. Twenty something years of steady friendship, games and helping hands. Steady as the cliffs off in the distance, tall and solid, safe in their sturdiness. They're a deep purple now, mute against the midnight background, highlighted at the crest by stars and moonlight. 

They're far off, silent backgrounds with endless stories, at least a mile or two away, protecting and backing one side of the small town they inhabit and guard themselves. 

They're silent now, two men and two cars. One idles low and steady, parked in the dirt and hidden beside the town's Welcome sign. Of course it doesn't hide the tires, but it gets the job done. It's a black and white Mercury Coupe, gaudy with all its sheriff gadgets and tech. Within it sits the town Sheriff, eyes closed and dosing in content silence, not quite asleep nor alone. Besides him, in a summer lounge chair for the front porch is the town doctor, not quite dosing due to insomnia. Across the street, parked alongside the edge of the tar is how own vehicle, a stock blue Hudson Hornet, bullet strong. 

They sat in silence, the summer air still, and time passed slowly. The doctor quirkiest a brow and looked to his buddy of twenty something years, his safe line and attraction of twenty something years. The man was well asleep by now, black moustache hiding his lips, cap hiding his eyes. 

Per tradition, he reached over and killed the Mercury's engine. He kept good care of the sheriff's car, and knew it would wake without issue when a speeder flys by. When he flys by. He patted the drivers door before standing with a stretch and picking up his chair to throw in the trunk of his own car.  
It had to be two or so in the morning. 

He wasn't heading home. 

He got into his own vehicle, and cranked the ignition, coaxing his metal partner to life, and glancing across the street to ensure the sheriff hadn't stirred. Once certain, he rolled onto the road and out of town a couple handfuls of miles. The engine of the Hornet was steady and strong, unwavering in its lull. It was a peaceful drive in contrast to what he was to do. 

He does this all the time, at least once a month, for years. 

It's how he picked up being the town's vehicle mechanic. He chuckled at the memory. At the end of all the rush, at the end of the chase and thrill, the sheriff's car had died out due to over exertion, over heating, something. The doctor didn't remember all these years later. It was their game, but of course the sheriff had means for anger, and he was upset at the incident. The doctor had left his own car, popped the hood of the Mercury that really wasn't aged much at all and inspected it. He swore he could fix it through the early hours of morning, and despite his anger, the sheriff protested. 

"No, you won't be fit for doctoring come tomorrow."

"I will have to be. Now, I will fix this car, help me push it to my garage."

They laboured and huffed and puffed, two young men side by side in a sleeping town of only a few streets. The doctor was the one to speak. 

"So, fixing your car, means I can still tear through town for fun, right?"

They rolled the car into the garage, the vehicle occupying the Hornets general residence. 

"Absolutely not. You're already crazy as it is."

The doctor flashed a charming smile. "I'll keep doing it. Besides, you enjoy chasing me."

He dodged the sheriff's attempt to cuff the back of his head with a laugh, then set to work on the coupe.

The doctor chuckled again at the memory, far out of town by now and utterly alone in the vast desert. Everything was blue and purple, and with his cars paint job, he felt near alone. He pulled an illegal U-turn, facing back into the direction of town, letting his car idle. This night, the game would be different, not just tag, not just tag and fix the car. 

He gunned the car, slamming the gas to the floor, and the car roared. Now it really was alive, now the doctor really wasn't alone, the desert on the move, them on the move. He holds the car straight as they gained speed, turns it around turns skilfully, hugging tight, sliding controlled, heading straight for town and through, certain he'd harm no one and no building. 

He was alive. 

And Sheriff was awake the moment the roaring engine of that Hudson flew by. He could recognise that sound anywhere at this point, and he rolled his eyes, glared with a smirk as he started his own vehicle, took off after the darn hotrodder, quickly gaining speed as well, pushing his car harder as they turned out of town, straight past and up into the mountains shortly. 

They climbed with ease and whipped around corners, cars roaring into the night, both easily thrilled and moved, exhilaration coursing through them in equal doses. The desert have way to cliffs, the cliffs grew dotted with coniferous trees, all flying by, streaked like dark watercolours pulled across the page. They arrived fast at the Wheel Well resort, nestled in the mountains above town, whipped around the stone peak and raced back down the mountain, back into town. 

They flew, leaving the wild shaken in their wake.

As they neared town, they slowed, parking to the side of the road near reentering their home. The doctor killed the Hornets engine, the sheriff silenced his siren, killed his flashing lights, but left the car running. Before he could call out, the doctor was already exiting his navy vehicle, hands palm stretched and up above his head, wrinkling the stained shirt he wore. 

But the game was over and that was all, and the doctor slowly lowered his hands as he neared the drivers side of the Mercury, where the window was already down. They're blood raced, pulse thumping and both were ever so slightly trembling from the adrenaline. The doctor crouched and folded his arms on the door, breathless and cold, and the Sheriff playfully glared at him, damp with perspiration and tense. 

"What's that look, doc?"

The doctor smiles softly, reaching into the car with one hand and running it through the sheriff's soft Raven hair, and holding him gently by the back of his head. The Sheriff lightly shook his head and glared fierce. 

"Let go of me."

The doctor glared back, more intensely, silently saying no, back down, none of that masculinity shit tonight, and the sheriff lowered his eyes with a hint of a nod. Doc smiles again, massaging the others soft scalp, enjoying the soft humm of contentment the other gave before almost blushing. They rarely did this, but they secretly enjoyed it, and they both knew so, so it wasn't truly a secret.

Their pulse sped still, continued by adrenaline, fed by the doctors own wishes, by the way he stared so intently at the Sheriff, who quirked a brow, nervous yet trusting. 

Yes, tonight, the doctor thought as he leaned in, the game would end differently. 

Because he was tired of all these years of friendship and hugs and light cuddles, and knowing they could really do anything together. He was tired of catching Sheriff staring at him as he works shirtless over a towns car, he was tired of watching Sheriff take his job so serious, protecting the town, them both being scared to break that last barrier. There was clear want, but they were too scared. The doctor always got impatient, wanting to barrel into the next challenge. This was that next challenge. 

And tonight, as their lips grace each other with their presence, he's not scared of what this means, neither of them are scared, because they never rejected anything, nothing is being rejected right now, and they will continue to simply carry on with whatever is most natural, together, friends, both, more friends than the other. 

And as the doctor pulls back, right as the sheriff began to actively reciprocate, they look into each other's eyes, and they both understand this certainty. 

Because their relationship feels as old as the mountains backing their town, and it's as steady as the cliffs protecting their home.


End file.
